Experience Kimchi Mac and Cheese with a Variety of Delicious Banchan Sides

Korean American chef Caroline Choe shares ideas for incorporating traditional Korean side dishes, or banchan, into a Thanksgiving meal. In her cookbook, “Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides,” Choe offers recipes like kimchi mashed potatoes, kimchi mac and cheese, maple doenjang dip, hot vegetable anchovy broth, smoky gochujang chicken salad, and seasoned broccoli salad. These dishes blend Korean and American flavors to create a unique Thanksgiving spread. Choe’s family learned to cook a Korean American Thanksgiving meal as immigrants in the United States, using whatever ingredients they could find. Her father created a maple doenjang dip, which combines fermented soybean paste with sweetener for a savory and tangy sauce. The hot vegetable anchovy broth, adapted by Choe’s family, serves as a versatile pescatarian base for Thanksgiving dishes. The kimchi mac and cheese recipe calls for sautéing fermented kimchi to intensify its flavor, while the seasoned broccoli salad offers a light and refreshing contrast to heavy Thanksgiving dishes. For leftover roast chicken or turkey, Choe recommends making a smoky gochujang chicken salad, combining paprika and gochujang for a flavorful and easy dish. These banchan recipes provide a creative and delicious way to add Korean influences to a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

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